Tata Punch vs Nissan Magnite vs Renault Kiger: Space And Practicality Compared

The Punch is promising to offer the versatility and practicality of a sub-4 metre SUV in a shorter footprint, not to mention at a lower price point. We decided to put this claim to test the CarDekho way. 

If you are looking for a compact SUV on a budget, the obvious choices are the Nissan Magnite and the Renault Kiger. Not only are they practical for the family, they also pack quite a punch for the price. Now, however, Tata has a new proposition - the Punch. Yes, it is slightly smaller but packs urban SUV potential, a decent feature list and is value for money as well. We decided to get all the three together to figure out if there is a hidden compromise in buying the Punch as compared to the standard sub-4 metre SUVs like the Magnite and Kiger. 

 

Looks

• With the slightly smaller dimensions, it’s clear that the Punch looks a size smaller than the Magnite and Kiger on the road. But, it does manage to stand tall as it is the tallest here. 

• Punch also manages to grab a lot of attention with the design as there is plenty of muscle. The tall bonnet with creases, flared wheel arches and Tata’s family SUV look help the Punch to stand out in this company too. 

• When you start comparing exterior features, there are a few differences. Punch is the only one with halogen headlamp whereas the other two get LEDs. Foglamps too in the Punch are regular bulbs whereas the Magnite gets LEDs and the Kiger does not get foglamps. The wheel size of all three is the same, 195/60 R16, and all three have interesting dual-tone alloy designs. 

• From the back, while the Magnite and Kiger still look like SUVs with a wider stance, the Punch does start to look a bit like a hatchback. Nevertheless, Punch and Kiger’s LED taillamps look modern whereas the Magnite’s regular bulbs take the wow factor down a notch at night. 

• Overall, the Punch, with its funky colour options and the tall stance does manage to have an impressive road presence. Even in this company, despite the size disadvantage, it manages to grab attention. However, if you are looking for the best road presence, it is the Kiger. 

Boot Space

• On paper, you will find the Punch’s boot space close to the Magnite and Kiger. The Punch has 319 litres, Magnite gets 336 litres and the Kiger has 405 litres. However, as you start stacking luggage in, things change. 

• The boot floor of the punch is less wide and less deep. As a result, the largest suitcase does not sit flat. You can cheat and fold the seat to place it flat, but it will still be a task to take it out. If you don't cheat, the Punch can hold the medium and small suitcase, and two soft bags. 

• The Kiger and Magnite, despite having different figures on paper, have the exact same boot space. Both can hold all three suitcases and 1 soft bag with ease. However, the Kiger has a higher loading lip which will require extra effort to load and unload heavy luggage. 

• Kiger and Magnite get split-folding for the rear seats whereas the Punch does not have the split option. None of the three SUVs gives you a fat floor though. 

Rear Seat Space And Experience

• Ingress and egress into the Punch are the easiest with the wide opening doors and the tall seating. If your grandparents often sit here, this will be really useful. Once seated, the cushioning is generous and supportive, underthigh support is good and the backrest angle is comfortable as well. 

• Plus, the front seats are mounted on tall rails, which opens up room for your foot and you can stretch out. The space inside is impressive with lots of knee and headroom. These seats are the most comfortable for two people in this comparison. You can seat three passengers in here but it will be a tight fit. 

• The Kiger’s seats are mounted slightly lower. And because the roof slopes sharply towards the back, you have to tuck your head in while getting in the Kiger. Taller and older people will find this less comfortable. Space however is ample with no complaints in leg, knee and headroom. Also, because the cabin is wide, seating three here is more comfortable than the Punch. 

• The seats of the Magnite are slightly taller than the Kiger’s and the roofline is tall as well. Inside, the cabin feels more airy with larger windows and a quarter glass. Space is on par with the Kiger and remains comfortable. For three passengers, this is the most comfortable space. 

• In terms of features, the Kiger and Magnite hold an edge with cupholders and mobile holder in the armrest, rear AC vents, rear cabin light and a 12V socket. You also get large door pockets to store water bottles. 

• In the Punch, the experience falls short. While you do get large door pockets, there are no cupholders, mobile holder, AC vents and even the 12V socket is shared with front passengers. 

Cabin quality and features

• Without any doubt, the Punch has the best cabin feel here. The materials and textures used feel premium and very well put together. Even the final touchpoints like steering, buttons, and the gear shifter feels good to touch and use. The cabin of the Magnite and Kiger don't feel plush and the plastic quality leaves a bit to be desired. 

• In terms of common features, all cars get basics like height-adjustable driver seat, touchscreen infotainment, steering mounted controls, digital driver’s display, automatic climate control, and keyless entry with push-button start. 

• Punch goes one step ahead to offer more convenience to the driver. It gets auto headlamps and rain-sensing wipers. For infotainment, you get a 7-inch touchscreen that supports Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, and comes with a 4 speakers and 2 tweeters sound system, which is best here. 

• It also misses a few features like a wireless charger, wireless android auto and Apple CarPlay and one-touch driver window up. And also, unlike the other two which get a fully digital instrument cluster, the Punch uses a semi-digital unit. 

• Punch offers connected car features with the IRA pack that you can find below. 

 

• A unique feature of the Magnite is the 360° camera but the pixelated quality means it is not useful at all. Unique in the Kiger is a PM2.5 filter in the AC unit and drive modes. But, you do not get cruise control here. 

Highlight Features

• Fancy features apart, the Punch offers the most useful feature list of the three. 

Cabin practicality

• All three cars have the basics covered with 2 cupholders, knick-knack storage, a large glovebox and large door pockets. For charging you get a USB port. The Magnite and Kiger further get a wireless charger but because, in the Kiager, it is plugged in the 12V socket, you get just a USB port. 

• Punch gets the most practical cabin here with deep knick-knack storage, another knick-knack storage for the driver, and a big cooled glovebox. The door pockets get an umbrella pocket and the passenger footwell gets a shopping bag hook. The only thing you really miss is a centre armrest. In the Magnite, while you do get the armrest, you do not get umbrella pockets and the glovebox is not cooled. 

• The Kiger has practicality issues. The large central console has very narrow and deep storage which renders it hard to use. And because the centre console protrudes out towards the seat, locking the seatbelt in becomes an issue. But you do get 2 gloveboxes here and the bottom one is cooled. 

• The Punch scores highly here. If you are ok with the missing front armrest, it’s the Punch with the most practical front cabin. 

Ride comfort

• Kiger offers you the most balanced ride quality here. The suspension does let some of the road surfaces creep inside but it manages to cushion the bumps and potholes very well. It keeps the ride very stable over broken roads and will be the best to take to places where the surface is challenging. 

• Punch also cushions you well over speed breakers and potholes but the rear seat occupants end up feeling the jolts more. Especially over the larger bumps, the rear seat passengers feel it a lot more as compared to the front seat passengers. 

• On smoother roads, the Magnite feels the most comfortable here with a softer tune to the suspension. But it starts to move a bit and lets more of the jolts be felt inside the cabin at higher speeds, larger potholes and broken tarmac. 

Safety

• Punch is the only car here with a 5-star NCAP safety rating. And you can feel this quality in the body panels, seatbelt buckles and the door shutting sound. 

• Magnite has scored 4 stars in the ASEAN NCAP while the Kiger has not been tested yet. Have a look at the safety features on offer. 

Price

• In this comparison, we are comparing the top manual variants of the three SUVs. The Tata Punch is priced at Rs 8.5 lakh and the Nissan Magnite at Rs 9 lakh, both prices ex-showroom. But both of these have packs that you can add. The Punch has the IRA pack for Rs 30,000 and the Magnite has the tech-pack for Rs 39,000. 

• Tata Punch final price is Rs 8.79 lakh, Nissan Magnite is Rs 9.38 lakh and the Renault Kiger is Rs 9.01 lakh. Overall, the price difference becomes Rs 60,000 for the Magnite and Punch. The Kiger also costs Rs 9 lakh ex-showroom and it is Rs 40,000 less expensive than the Magnite. 

Verdict

Renaut Kiger and Nissan Magnite are known for their space, practicality, feature list and value for money package. And again, through this test, they have proven their mettle. But the surprise was how close the Punch could get to them while being less expensive, and more compact. It is the best-built car here, offers the most practical feature list and is the most comfortable for 4 people in the cabin. Not to forget, the 5-star safety rating. So if you are ok with slightly less premium rear seat experience, boot space, fancy features and a dominating road presence, then it’s the Punch that is offering you the best overall experience. 

But, if you are looking for a more true-SUV experience, you will have to look at the Kiger and Magnite. And between the two, you pick the Kiger for its ride comfort, keeping in mind the practicality issues it has in the cabin. And you pick the Magnite as the best overall balance, keeping in mind it is the most expensive here.